Monthly Archives: February 2015

Measles is back. The outbreak of this highly contagious viral illness that started at Disneyland in December has spread across the country and shows no signs of slowing. As of February 6, the CDC reported 121 cases in 17 states in this year alone, most linked to Disneyland. In 2014, we had 644 cases of measles in the U.S. This is a striking increase compared to the last 15 years, when we usually saw less than 100 cases in an entire year.

I’m sorry that so many people have been sickened in this outbreak and hope that it is reined in soon. This is no easy task given our mobile society and the fact that we like to congregate in places like Disneyland, schools, doctors’ offices, hospitals, airplanes, and shopping malls. Add to that the pockets of unvaccinated people where measles can easily spread, and we have a recipe…

Like this:

Well what can I say, weight loss is a tough project.
A new year resolution that is continuous for me.
Maybe it’s my medicine I take slowing my metabolism?
Maybe it’s winter blues?
Maybe it’s my back pain troubles.

All I know is that it’s hard for me. And the fact that I just love the taste of food is not helping. Exercising is on a minimal scale right now because of my back pain. I do a little light exercises but feeling discouraged.

Then my friend gave me a

wireless fitbit.

Wow what an incentive! I’m slowly getting the hang of how to use it. I just registered with fitbit and wrote notes about my food intake.

I do believe that I finally found something to get rid of my discouragement!
I may be limited on exercising, but I can still give it my best shot at dieting and eating smart, while my fitbit application synchronize my activities.

Fabulous! I can see how many steps I’ve walked and my calorie intake after I log in my daily food plans.

I’m actually enjoying the process. I feel that I finally have something that’ll help me lose weight and exercise. Small but successful! !!
I love it!

Like this:

Why is the feeling of contentment such a short-lived feeling? I wish I had the answers.
Yesterday I had strong emotions of raring to go, and today I am in a slump…again.

How can I keep my mind and heart in check? It feels like a ride that I cannot get off. Every few minutes I have a different emotion. I am up, I am down, I am all around.
And with those emotions I begin to have a panic feeling, shallow breathing and my body temperature rises too high for my liking.

The mind is that powerful? It is hard to grasp that and yet so many people who I have spoken to have said that to me.

Our minds, hearts and souls are all intertwined? Seems so. My only evidence is that when my emotions start to feel uncomfortable, fearful and impatient, I start to panic and want to run as fast as I can.
I read books, I listen to audio, I meditate, to no avail.

What plan am I on?

The AA (double A) Plan, which starts with something small, yet with a potential for something.

I bought the movie Lucy that just came out on DVD. I heard so many things about this move that I am intrigued.
It’s about how today we only use approximately 10% of our brain. Lucy is able to reach the ultimate and use 100% of her brain.
How fascinating is that? I cannot wait until the mail comes so I can watch it.
Who knows, it may spark a positive and inspiring emotion in me.

Looking for some great short medieval poems which are easy to read? Look no further than this, our latest post…

Medieval poetry can be a daunting field to dip into (to mix our metaphors terribly). Although Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Dante’s Divine Comedy are masterpieces and essential reading, perhaps the best route into medieval poetry – as with any poetry – is to start small. What follows is our pick of the best short medieval poems written in English.

They are all presented in the original Middle English, because here at Interesting Literature we believe that that’s the best way to read the poems. This does mean that several words/phrases need glossing, so we’ve done this briefly before each poem. All of these poems were written (or at least written down) some time during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries: our source for them is the excellent Penguin book of Medieval…

Like this:

Old man winter getting you down?
Sure has for me.
Icy roads kept me from going to work yesterday. I felt so bad calling in that I couldn’t make it in.
That’s how bad the ice mounts were.

I slid, maneuvered the car to park, and stopped. My attempt was done.

That’s the third time I had to miss work because of the weather. I hated every moment of it.
Sure, my job is no fancy shmancy.
It’s nothing so urgent, but I have a solid reputation of being reliable.
Oh sure they fully understood why I couldn’t get in. There were lots of others who didn’t make it to work too.
I was not the only one.
Safety first!
So as I sat and took advantage of quiet time, my heart skipped.

I have had enough!!!

I have been dreaming and networking to move to California since 1993.
Fear and finances kept me at bay.

No more. My desire to leave is now greater than my fear.
I am going to be strategic.
I shall maneuver. I shall save until it hurts.
I will study hard and get that license by March and start hustling for that job in California.
My friends out there are enjoying warm weather, soft skin and peace of mind.

I am determined to join them.

This is my last winter on the east coast.
I am determined to make 2015 a year of my dreams being a reality, finally.

How are your dreams coming along?

Determination is key for me.

I’m hoping it’ll ease my anxiety and depression and finally I can be the person I am on the inside.